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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Fun. certainly has a lot of it

Fun. - "Aim and Ignite"
Nettwerk
-out now
4 / 5

Replete with caliope, trombone, and cello, these playful arrangements by the sugary pop band Fun. bubble with excitement and poppy youth. The sheer brightness of the songs here would assume superficial treatment of the somewhat light material, but the biggest pleasure is the care taken for the crafting of the songs; each twists about creatively, playing with the listener, and each new segment unfolds into the next unexpected part. Yes, these songs feel a bit airy and colorful like a carousel, but that still doesn't detract from the pure fun on the cheeky and cheesy "I Wanna Be the One." When Fun. hits their strongest tracks in "All the Pretty Girls" and "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)," it's easy to find yourself dancing about with the goofs, which is certainly not a bad thing. The trio knows their territory inside and out, and while they don't have the most somber take out there, they show pride and care in their inventive and topsy-turvy songs. All the carnival sweetness without the tooth rot; recommended.